Wednesday, August 27, 2014

Gourmet food truck
festivals are taking the nation by storm and plans are underway to bring the
foodie event to the city of Decatur. The inaugural Invasion of the Food Trucks
is set for Saturday, September 27, 2014, from 5 p.m. to midnight at Ingalls Harbor,
and along with a variety of culinary delights, there will be a car and
motorcycle show, live music on two stages, activities for children and a 3d
mapping light show.

Six to ten mobile food vendors
will offer a variety of gourmet food to satisfy any foodies’ appetite. Those
confirmed include Bad News Barbeque, Brain Freeze Mobile, Neon Lily, Rollin
Lobstah, Sugar Bell and Chef Will the Palate. Among the culinary delights will
be barbeque, Eastern Europe cuisine, lobster, fine cuisine featuring fresh produce
from local farmers markets and a variety of yummy desserts.

Inside the Pavilion at 7 p.m.,
live music will be provided by Renegades of Funk, 5ive O’Clock Charlie and
other acts. A 3D projection mapping light show will coordinate with the music
providing an unforgettable experience for festivalgoers. A second stage will be
set up outside of the Pavilion from featuring light acoustic music by Josh
Allison and Cheryl Llewellyn and DJ Tryptone will keep everyone entertained as
the evening rolls on.

“Cities across the country have
had successful events centered around mobile food vendors in recent years and
it’s time we bring the latest dining trend to Decatur,” said Decatur-Morgan
County CVB President/CEO Melinda Dunn. “The Invasion of the Food Trucks will be
an opportunity for a food lover to taste a delicious mix of some of the best
food trucks and carts in the north Alabama area. Festivalgoers are encouraged
to bring lawn chairs and picnic blankets and enjoy a different type of outdoor
dining experience.”

Additional activities include a
car show and motorcycle show in the parking lot area and kids will particularly
enjoy the inflatable bounce houses and complimentary face painting. Life South
will be accepting blood donations and the Neighborhood Christian Center will
have two tents set up for food donations. Beer and wine will be sold inside the
Pavilion.

Organized by Decatur Parks and
Recreation and River City Lights, the Invasion of the Food Trucks will last
from 5 p.m. to midnight and will take place rain or shine. All activities will
be held in Ingalls Harbor located at 802 Wilson Street NW in Decatur. Proceeds
from the event will benefit the Neighborhood Christian Center.

Tuesday, August 26, 2014

Hosted by the Hartselle Area Chamber of Commerce, the Depot
Days Festival rolls into downtown Hartselle September 20, 2014, bringing a day
of family fun to the quaint downtown area. The festival has been a tradition in
the community for the past 33 years and features a full day of live music, art,
food, children’s rides and games, and more.

The Depot Days Festival gets
underway at 8 a.m. and lasts all day until the music stops. Along with live
music, the annual event offers a car, truck and motorcycle show, an arts show,
crafts, a tractor and engine show, and a variety of fun and games for children
covering a five-block area of downtown Hartselle. Admission is free.

Also on Saturday, the College
Street Players will present the Great Bank Robbery re-enactment at the
Hartselle Fine Arts Center. Show times are at 10 a.m., 2 p.m., and 5:30 p.m.
(Admission charged.)

The Half-Marathon, a partnership between the Depot Days
Festival and the Hartselle Kiwanis Club, returns in 2014 after a successful
debut during last year’s event. Race time is set for 7 a.m. at Quail Creek Golf
Resort and Convention Center. For more information, visit www.hartsellekiwanisclub.org/half-marathon/.

Additional activities leading up
to the 34th annual event include the Miss and Master Depot Days
Pageant at the Sparkman Civic Center on September 13th, a community
worship service with hymn and gospel singing on September 14th,
“Down Memory Lane” program at the Hartselle Fine Arts Center on September 15th,
and a concert by the Hartselle High School choral department in the Hartselle
High School auditorium on September 18th.

The annual event pays tribute to
the history of the railroad and its contribution to the growth and development
of Hartselle and north Alabama area. For more information on the Depot Days
Festival, visit www.hartsellechamber.org
and click on News & Events or call the Hartselle Area Chamber of Commerce
at 256.773.4370.

Approximately 5,000 high school athletes are
expected to compete in the 16th annual Jesse Owens Cross Country
Classic Invitational set for Saturday, October 4, 2014. Hosted by the Jesse
Owens Runners’ Club, the race begins at 8:20 a.m. and is held on the championship
course located on the grounds of the Oakville Indian Mounds Education
Center.

The Jesse Owens Cross Country Classic brings junior high and high
school students from all over the United States for a competitive race honoring
one of Alabama’s greatest athletes. Born in 1913 in Oakville, Alabama, Jesse
Owens captured four gold medals at the 1936 Olympics in Berlin overcoming
racial and socioeconomic barriers. In 1955, he was named Ambassador of Sports
by President Eisenhower and toured the world promoting the virtues of amateur
programs.

According to Race Director Stanley Johnson, nearly 5,000 high
school runners from Alabama, Louisiana, Florida, Kentucky, Tennessee, Georgia,
and Mississippi competed in the 2013 event, setting a new record for entries.
The race began in 1999 with approximately 450 participants.

The competition offers 14 divisions for boys and girls. The top 10
finishers in each division receive a special award with the overall winner in
each division winning a trophy. Registration deadline is September 30, 2014.
For more information including race times, a schedule of events and
registration information, visit http://alabamahighschoolrunner.com
or call Coach Stanley Johnson at 256.566.4410.

The championship course is also great for spectators who want to
witness competitive racing from the sidelines. Oakville Indian Mounds Education
Center is located approximately 8 miles south of Moulton on Alabama Highway 157
and 1/2 mile from the Jesse Owens Memorial Park. Admission is free. A parking
donation of $2 per car is suggested to help support the Education Center.

Monday, August 25, 2014

A new World Grand
Champion will be named in Decatur, Ala. when the largest Racking Horse Show in
the United States returns to the Celebration Arena September 19-27, 2014. The
World Celebration offers 188 classes for children, adults, amateurs, and
professionals, and show organizers extend an invitation to the general public
to come and experience the excitement of crowning a new grand champion.

The annual World
Celebration offers a variety of activities, including a horse sale, a barn decorating
contest, nightly consignment sales, and a golf tournament in addition to the
horse competition. The general public is invited to participate in the Pleasure
Association’s 50/50 raffle and the “When Pigs Fly” contest. Each night of the
show, participants can attempt to fly a pig toward a target with the closest
one winning a cash prize. On Saturday night prior to announcing the World Grand
Champion, children are invited to participate in the “Stick Horse” class. This
event allows children to bring their own stick horse for friendly competition
in the arena. The nine-day competition culminates with the announcement of the
new World Grand Champion.

Shows are held
nightly at 6 p.m. except on Thursday when show time begins at 5:30 p.m.
Admission is $5 per person September 20 through 25 and $7 per person for the
remaining nights of the competition. Parking is $5/daily. The Morgan County
Celebration Arena is located at 67 Horse Center Road (off Highway 67 East) in
Decatur.

Along the Tennessee River in
Decatur, the aroma of barbeque fills the air the in September. Celebrating its
20th year in 2014, Riverfest brings together pitmasters from across
the country who smoke it out as festivalgoers enjoy live music, friendly
barbeque competition, and fun and games. Headliners for this year’s event set
for September 19-20, 2014, are country music star Craig Campbell and Southern
rock band Blackberry Smoke.

Hosted by the Decatur Jaycees,
Riverfest is recognized by the State of Alabama as an official State Barbeque
Championship competition and is sanctioned by, and conducted under, the rules
of the Kansas City Barbeque Society. Competing for prize money and trophies
totaling $20,000, the BBQ cook-off is open to professional and amateur teams,
and children between the ages of 8 and 18 years old are invited to test their
ribeye steak barbequing skills in the Kids Q.

Live music fires up Friday
evening. Headliner Craig Campbell (www.craigcampbell.tv)
is scheduled to take the stage at 9:30 p.m. Nominated for two American Country
Awards, Campbell reached the top of the country music charts with several of
his songs, including “Outta My Head,” “Family Man,” and “Keep Them Kisses
Comin.” The music continues Saturday afternoon and includes performances by The
Wheelers (www.reverbnation.com/thewheelersband),
Drake White (www.drakewhite.com) and
rising stars Blackberry Smoke (www.blackberrysmoke.com).
Playing up to 250 dates each year, this Southern Rock quintet band has toured
with the Marshall Tucker Band, ZZ Top, Lynyrd Skynryd and George Jones. The band
was asked to play for Jones on his 80th birthday, not long after the
country legend turned in a guest appearance on the band’s sophomore album.

Along with the BBQ cook-off and
music, there are food vendors offering barbeque and other traditional festival
food and a free children's area. Weekend passes are $30 per person and includes
admission for both days. Weekend passes must be purchased in advance at www.decaturjaycees.com, Decatur-Morgan
County Chamber of Commerce or Decatur-Morgan County Convention and Visitors
Bureau. One-day tickets at the gate are $20 per person. Children younger than
10 years old are admitted for free.

Riverfest is a community event
that helps raise funds for various charities in Decatur and surrounding area.
Over the past three years, the event has been able to give over $60,000 to
local charities. For more information on the 20th annual Riverfest,
visit www.decaturjaycees.com.

For the past 24 years, thousands of visitors have
made their way to the tiny hamlet of Eva, located off of Interstate 65, for
eight days of old-fashioned fun and games. Now in its 25th year, Eva
Frontier Days offer wholesome entertainment where festival goers are
entertained with a greased pig chase, a frog jumping contest, a parade, antique
tractors, a hayride, and much more. This year’s event is set for September
20-27, 2014.

The 25th celebration kicks off Saturday, September 20th
at 6 p.m. at Eva School with a bluegrass festival featuring Fireball Mail from
Nashville, Tenn. and Arab’s Freshwater Creek. Admission is $6 per person. On
Tuesday, September 23th at the Eva Saddle Club Arena, the world’s
largest hayride will hit the streets at 6:30 p.m. Cost is $1 per person and
includes a free hotdog and coke. Eva Methodist Church will host a Community
Hymn Book Singing on Thursday, September 25th at 7 p.m. and the
public is also invited to Music on the Square featuring Dixie Flavor on
September 26th beginning at 6 p.m. in downtown Eva.

The fun continues on Saturday, September 27th beginning
at 9 a.m. with a variety of games and activities including the Antique Tractor
and Car Show and an arts and crafts show. At 10:30 a.m., the baking contest
gets underway where a cash prize is up for grabs, followed by a parade at 11
a.m. and the pig calling contest at 1:30 p.m. The day wraps up at the ball
fields with a frog jumping contest at 4 p.m. followed by the greased pig chase
at 5 p.m.

Proceeds from Eva Frontier Days benefit the Eva Art Guild. For
more information, call 256.796.7023 or 256.318.6735.